Pair of New Orleans comedians hope to tickle your funny bone at show

Thad AngellozStaff Writer

Friday

Aug 20, 2010 at 3:00 PM

HOUMA — Having a steady stream of comedians performing locally on a regular basis is something Jodi Borrello and Becky Allen would love to see.That's why the two New Orleans comedians are teaming up to bring an event, Comedy Y'all, to The Coffee Zone, 7884 Main St., Houma.Scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 20, the two-hour show promises to bring tons of laughter to audience members, according to organizers.Admission costs $15 and dinner is available before and during the show.“What I love is I’m getting the chance to stay home without traveling far away,” said Borrello, who recently opened for Dennis Miller and is friends with Dat Phan, winner of the first “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. “Getting to perform for my favorite people in south Louisiana is always a thrill. I’m excited because I get to use material that only works here and nowhere else.”Borrello said she tours the country as a member of Budd Friedman’s Comedy Improv, a group of stand-up comedians.Currently, Borrello spends a bunch of time at Harrah’s of New Orleans and makes frequent trips to Las Vegas.According to Borrello, she met Allen through a mutual acquaintance and the two hit it off immediately.“She’s amazing,” Borrello said of Allen. “What’s amazing is just how versatile she is as a comedian. She’s been in a bunch of plays over the years, but at the same time she’s a fabulous stand-up comedian. Both of us have a blast doing this, and that shines through when someone watches us perform.”Allen, a veteran comic/actress, remembers first meeting Borrello on a trip to Hammond.“We kept ourselves laughing the whole way there for the show we did,” Allen said.Allen has made frequent trips to the Houma area for a number of productions, ranging from a play at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne to a production called “Hot Flashes” that took place at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.“You have to understand that I feel real at home there (Houma) because after (Hurricane) Katrina a lot of people from New Orleans relocated there,” she said. “The people down there are great, and we’re really looking forward to putting on a good show.”Allen describes her and Borrello’s comedic styles as “a good mix that compliments each other well.”“I’m more into telling jokes, where Jodi’s comedy is driven more by what she observes around her on a daily basis,” Allen said. “I kind of act like the sorbet of the show, meaning I’ll come up for a little bit then introduce a comic and then come up again. I guess you could say I cleanse your palate during a comedy performance involving multiple comics.”Borrello helped bring a similar show to Houma a few months ago and loved the whole vibe she found at The Coffee Zone.“There were only 19 people there, but when I was done I got a standing ovation,” she said. “If you ask me, I would tell you it’s harder to get a standing ovation from 19 people than 500 people. What it came down to is the people there knew we gave them our best and reciprocated that with their show of support.”Although her schedule won’t allow her to visit Houma every other week, she does want to stage quarterly shows in Terrebonne Parish.“I might use some of my contacts to bring in some of the touring comics who are stopping through,” Borrello said. “You’d be surprised by how many comics feel right at home at a small venue performing in front of crowds numbering less than 50 or 60 people.”Borrello said her target audience ranges in age from 25 to 40, but she welcomes anyone eager for a good laugh to stop by.“What I like is people can come out for a nice night out and be home at a reasonable time,” she said. “For me, it’s about having fun and seeing others have fun. I’m one of those people who knows I have a great job, and hopefully that shows when people come out to watch me.”Borrello maintains a lengthy list of comedy friends across the country. She said she talks regularly to comics Ralph Harris and Doug Benson.Both men appeared as contestants on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” reality-TV show.“I actually was invited to tryout for the show a few years ago and I bombed,” Borrello said with a laugh. “I don’t know what happened to me, but it just didn’t go good at all. Maybe I’ll give it another shot one day.”For information, call 223-2442 or visit www.JodiComedy.com.

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